[Milsurplus] Harvey Wells AR-5A Military Aircraft (History/Info)

[D C Macdonald]

I believe multi-channel Magnacord (or
Magnasync) recorders may still be in use.

The ones I worked on in the Air Force
up until my 1981 retirment could also
be used for playback.  The Tinker AFB, OK
tower had two machines, one in use at
a time (IIRC) and the standby machine
could be used to review a previously
recorded tape.  I don't remember now
if they were 10 or 20 channel recorders;
Magnecorder made both versions.

I think we also had a separate deck that
was separate from the tower to allow for
replay.

Mac, K2GKK/5



----Original Message Follows----
From: C Whitaker <whitaker at pa.net>
Reply-To: whitaker at ieee.org
To: milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Harvey Wells AR-5A Military Aircraft 
(History/Info)
Date: Sat, 23 Oct 2004 21:29:35 -0400

de WB2CPN                    2004.10.23

My experience with Control Towers and other
air traffic control facilities 1950 - 1966
encountered different methods of recording
voice transmissions.  During 1951 I saw a
few recorders that used a 35 MM plastic endless
tape that used a metal stylus.  Later on the
Dictaphone (tm) was found in many control
towers.  It used a wide plastic band.  Then
Magnacord (tm) introduced a multichannel
recorder to the USAF.  It was standard for
towers and RAPCON's in the late 50's and
early 60's.  The last I saw was the RD-115
and the RD-92, both of which placed lateral
magnetic tracks on 3-inch wide tape.  We
didn't think anything about their future
value to the world.  In fact, there's no
point in retaining a recorded media unless
the play back equipment is also retained.

73  Clete